Pep Guardiola, the former manager of Manchester City, has disclosed that Cole Palmer had expressed his desire to depart the club for two seasons before eventually joining Chelsea. Palmer, who is currently enjoying a remarkable debut season at Stamford Bridge, has emerged as a top scorer in the Premier League, netting 20 goals thus far.
In a press conference ahead of City’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, Guardiola admitted that Palmer had repeatedly requested to leave the club, but he had tried to convince the midfielder to stay. Guardiola stated, “He was asking for two seasons to leave Man City. I said, ‘Stay.’ He wanted to leave. What can we do?!”
During his final season at Manchester City, Palmer made 14 appearances in the Premier League, starting in only two of those matches. He also featured in four Champions League games for the club. However, since his £42.5 million transfer to Chelsea, Palmer has become a key figure in the Blues’ midfield, featuring in all but one league match this season due to a yellow card suspension.
Guardiola acknowledged Palmer’s exceptional talent and expressed regret for not providing him with the playing time he deserved during his time at Manchester City. “He’s an exceptional player with super potential. I didn’t give him the minutes he deserves, which he now has at Chelsea,” Guardiola stated.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
